One Hundred Thoughts
by SoftGray
Summary: Postcard by postcard Harry proves his love for Ginny from afar. And postcard by postcard, Ginny is able to see glimpses of heart from the man she loves. But scraps of paper do not make a life together and it is only the thoughts carefully captured in fifty words or less that allows Ginny to keep peace when she's alone. Harry/Ginny.
1. Aloha!

**One Hundred Thoughts**

 _by SoftGray_

Chapter 1 - Aloha!

* * *

Ginny knew what she had signed herself up for when she agreed to marry Harry. Being Mrs. Potter was a privilege that came with smiley public appearances and the occasional splashy piece about her in the Daily Prophet. But what Ginny did not first realize was the amount of time she would spend separated from Harry.

Harry had been welcomed with open arms by the Auror department and he and Ron were given an abbreviated training which resulted in graduation to full blown, shit-your-pants terrifying missions by the end of the year. Ginny had returned to Hogwarts to finish her, proper, final year and as such was mentally and emotional okay with being away from her boyfriend.

But she was in no way okay with Harry being flung face first into danger with no promise of coming back in one piece.

As Ginny cried with worry as to what would happen to Harry, Hermione sat on the edge of her bed, stroked Ginny's back and told her about what the Muggles called 'life insurance' and how it was never very comforting at all to receive large sums of money when all you ever really wanted was your loved one back. And she went on, talking about how in mystery stories and crime thrillers people often killed just so they could collect the payout and walk away rich, but Ginny suspected that this rambling was Hermione's own deflection, a disguise for her worry over Ron.

Worst of all, as detailed in the owl from Harry, was that it could never be disclosed where he went on these missions in case his identity or cover was compromised as he was out in the field, nor could he send any news home. Not even a slip of parchment with 'doing well, love h'. Ginny thought that this was the stupidest rule - she was dating _Harry-freaking-Potter_ and you'd need to be a blind Kneazle to not notice him waltzing about the country dodging hexes or saving children, whatever it was that he did.

The entire family spent Christmas at the Burrow and Ginny tried to relax, knowing it was the first proper holiday that all of them had had in many years. But there was a gnawing fear in her stomach and no matter how many mince pies she ate nor how often George tried to prank her, a sincere smile never quite made it onto her face.

And then less than a week into the new year, the day came. Ron had not been assigned to this mission so he stood with the rest of the Weasley's waving Harry off, with his other hand around Hermione's shoulder. Ginny had properly said goodbye to Harry the night before and spent the drawn out farewell sitting on the steps of the Burrow smiling vaguely at everyone around her. After Harry Apparated off, the family heaved a collective sigh and resumed their normal duties, with Molly gently adjusting Harry's hand on the family clock, relieved that it sat on 'Work' and not anything else.

The winter term resumed a week later and Ginny was seen off with the same fanfare - Hermione was arriving later with her parents. Hogwarts had always felt like home to her, and even though nothing had changed, Ginny found herself spending her first day back wandering through the hallways that echoed how her heart felt - empty.

She popped into the library to grab a few books she would need for Transfiguration and stepped out feeling a little bit better; productivity was always the best cure for grief. But Ginny hadn't brought her bag, and a slight shift in the way her books were stacked led to them tumbling onto the floor, a sight that was sure to have Hermione scandalized.

As Ginny scrambled to pick them up, she noticed something had fallen out of one of them. It looked like a postcard - the kind Bill sent the family when he was in Egypt, but the view was that of a sunset over a brilliant bay of water with lots of palm tress to one side and a technicolor sky. It was adorned with a curvy font that declared 'Aloha'. Ginny flipped it over and read what had been scrawled hastily on the back

 _Doing well. Love, H._

Clutching the memento to her chest, Ginny broke out in a true grin imagining Harry tanning (burning?) on a Hawaiian beach where he was most definitely not. But the thought itself was good enough to put a spring in her step and a renewed outlook on the term as she headed back to Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I will probably put ratings for individual chapters up at the beginning as they will vary depending on what Harry and Ginny get themselves into. There is also a link to an imgur album on my profile where you can see the postcards that Harry sends Ginny!


	2. Telephone

**One Hundred Thoughts**

 _by SoftGray_

Chapter 2 - Telephone

* * *

The season had turned from a chilly winter to a beautiful spring in Scotland, and throngs of students were outside pretending to study and otherwise shirking their duties. Ginevra Weasley and Hermione Granger were two such students and Hermione could safely say this was the first time she'd shirked anything in her life.

"Sometimes, I feel like my life has no purpose anymore. We fought, we won and I just want to sit on my laurels forevermore. There's always the cliche expectation to pop out children but it's nearly the twenty-first century, surely women can be expected to do something else." Ginny was playing with the grass as the two of them sat by the lake, picking out a blade at a time and tearing it to shreds. Hermione flipped over on her stomach and looked out across the lake and continued in a drawling, almost bored tone.

"And everyone just expects us to have illustrious Ministry careers like the boys, but office work is so boring and honestly, I think I could do better elsewhere, like working on S.P.E.W. or maybe even werewolf rights. Ministry work isn't the end all be all." Ginny silently agreed: she wanted to play for the Holyhead Harpies, but that was an ambition she kept to herself, not even Pig knew. Tryouts were in late July and all Ginny had to do was keep her parents and siblings in the dark until she came home victorious, swathed in Holyhead Harpies green and gold clutching a letter of acceptance from Gwenog Jones herself.

A shriek shattered Ginny's thoughts - a first year who had been playing with her friends on the path closest to the the Forbidden Forest had started screaming and running towards the castle, her short legs carrying her as fast as possible, with all of her yelling playmates following suit. Ginny and Hermione immediately sprang into action mode, and Ginny noted with some remorse that her reflexes were still so sharp after the war.

Hermione was first on the scene and Ginny saw her body at first tense up, wand alight, then slowly relax as she dropped her hands by her side.

"It's nothing! They're just doves." And as if on cue, hundreds of brilliantly white, petite birds poured out from the Forbidden Forest, fanning out across the sky, each one a bright speck in the afternoon sky.

A few of the doves decided to perch on the castle and amongst the tree tops and yet others came down through the throngs of students who had gathered to watch, delighting the older ones and sending shivers of curiosity through the younger ones. Hermione had one mistake her hair for a nest, which she was giggling endlessly over, and one perched on Ginny's shoulder, cooing.

But before Ginny could properly fawn over the delicate bird, it transfigured with a pop! into a beautifully folded origami crane. She plucked it from her shoulder and unfolded it, taking care to fold the creases flat.

It was a snowscape, painted in shades of white and grey and black. The only color was a bright red telephone booth that sat lonely and abandoned. It was lovely, but what was lovelier were the words on the other side.

 _Pictured, my frosty heart without you. I'll give you a ring when I get back soon, care to warm me up? H_

Attempting not to blush at the many layers of entendre Harry had managed to sneak into the seemingly innocent postcard, Ginny folded it back up and tucked it away in her pocket and set off across the lawn, joining her friends and classmates in pure delight.

* * *

Author's Note: This chapter was hard for some reason, and still doesn't feel right. Suggestions welcome! Check my profile for the newest addition to the postcard album.


End file.
